Progress...ish!...

Catching up on reading posts yesterdaySaturday Chooky's in which she asked the question "Anyone else working on the SAL at the moment?"...impetus to get the camera out and show where mine is at...

On the design wall...with a bits from the scrap basket that are auditioning or have been cast but still learning their roles...it will get there...one day!...not abandoned just going at its own [slow] pace...

Great tops  being shown Ladies...well done...loving them all...

Happy Stitching...
Annette, Jindi's Cottage 

Next to the Centre...

My Nature's Journey may have been on hiatus but not forgotten...the applique blocks have escaped their box and jumped up on the design wall...

It took a little bit of switching about of individual blocks to get the various designs in a layout I was happy with but the basic configuration of large and small blocks is to Anni's plan.  As I've used fabrics from the scrap basket without any real planning, just going with what I liked for the particular shape on the day as long as it kind of fit in the general tonality of the other blocks, they go together pretty well I think...no one jumps out as a jarring non-fit with the others.

I have had the centre square background pieced for a while and now the blocks are all up together I'm going to have fun sorting out which fabrics to use for the centre applique (once I've finished cutting out the templates)...

Happy Stitching...

June...Late but...Tick!!...

While bunkering down on the couch this morning hiding from the white crunchy (frost not snow) brrrrr world outside I finally managed to get the last stitch into the final of June's blocks...then the world went all blue and bright (apparently it's called sky & sunshine) so they went outside for photo time...

Two of the big blocks are somehow off centred but I'm choosing to ignore that...so that's June for me thanks Chooky...

I've decided which blocks I'm going to repeat as my make-up blocks for the ones I discounted along the way...I want to do those before starting on the centre so I can pin all the blocks up and see what fabrics the centre might want to be...althogh I've started one of them I'm taking a wee break from Nature's Journey for a couple of weeks so I'll be behind for a little while yet...oh well, you get that, moving on...

Happy Stitching...

Annette & Jindi's Cottage

The June Interim Report...

I'm behind...here it is two weeks into July and I haven't managed to get June finished...nearly there but not quite...

Drat, the acorn one is upside down...ah well, you get the idea...

Fingers crossed for June to be finished before the calendar says July is over!

Happy Stitching...
Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

May....Tick!

Put the last stitches into the last May block this morning...it's just taken me all day to get the camera out...so here they are...

That's a tick for May for me thanks Chooky...(yes yes I know, the initial one is missing, it isn't going to happen it's on the list of discards to be replaced with something else later...)

Happy Stitching....

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

April? - That's A Tick!

My blocks for April are done...

The photo is way too yellow but it was taken very quickly yesterday morning before I set off to work away for the next few days and the sun was still sleeping at the time...so that's an A for me thanks Chooky!

Happy Stitching...

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

Marched On...

A couple of blips along the way (halt to any hand sewing for a week or so) but I'm declaring March blocks done...except the two spiky flower shape blocks which have been discontinued...I was having so much trouble even getting started on stitching those blocks...at sewing group on Monday when they were all that remained I forced myself to start by stitching the centre circles to the base shape...didn't mind that at all...quite happy about stitching the circles...OK, unit completed put on background...not so happy....a few stitches, put it down....a few more, put it down...not going well at all...back home...pick up, put down...slow and not steady...then yesterday it came to me...I don't like the spiky flower shape....not the stitching of pointy bits, the actual shape...the spikey harshness look and feel to the shape...it has to go...so I'm declaring March done and those two blocks are in the "to be changed to something else" pile with the small embroidered blocks from February...when all the blocks are done and laid out I'll decide which of the other shapes to repeat instead of the spikes...the blocks are quick so it won't be a stretch to make up those blocks later...

So as it stands...here is March...now on to April...so far I'm not disliking any of the shapes in the April blocks so that is a good start!

Happy Stitching...
Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

February - Tick!...

Part 1 ticked off...and with days to spare! wahoo!!...

Not sure about the basket handle but I'll revisit that if I can't live with it when the time comes...my applique is kinda wonky anyway so maybe it will fit in nicely at the end with the rest of the wonkiness...

Happy Stitching...

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

It's A Start...

February is underway...background fabrics collected while jaunting around the place Summer Schooling washed and ironed (yes I'm a pre-washer)...sorted and resorted, until...six cream fabrics in the box...

A session preparing templates, except the centre panel, then moving on to applique pieces fabric selection... 

from the scrap bin! looking for civil war/1800's reproduction fabrics/colours...the reproduction stash box made it quite clear of involvement in the project when it comes to the border squares and triangles...I just love playing in the scrap bin, there are all sorts of "donated" treasures in there...floss colours to be determined by the applique block winning fabric...definitely going with scrappy!

Progress so far...one finished, one almost there, and preparation underway...yes, I've changed the construction and embroidery stitch, you get that...

Happy Stitching...

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

SKOW Top Update...

Some Kind of Wonderful is finally a completed top...

I'm not sure what is going on with the top border, whether it has stretched and needs to come off and have another go or it just needs a good iron (I'll worry about that when the time comes)...anyway...ta dah...the little pieces of white paper are where buttons will go instead of the pattern's applique and I also chose to omit the stitched words on the top border...

On to 2015!...I intentionally opted out of doing January's stitchery so onto Nature's Journey...first task, wash the collection of background fabrics acquired on my recent travels through New South Wales...the rest of the intended fabrics currently live in the reproduction stash box and which ones will come out to play is anybody's guess!

Happy Stitching...
Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

...another SKoFW - Part II...

Here it is...my SKoFW top in-progress folded over Chookyblue's finished quilt...in the Chook Shed!...

It was pretty cool to see them hanging together...and to see Chooky's quilt for real, the colours are so much more awesome than in the photo...I have to address an issue with the bottom "hemline" before putting on the final sashing/border strips but it is pretty darn close to limping over the finish line...

Happy Stitching...

Annette @ Jindi's Cottage

Greetings from Victoria...

Greetings Fellow SAL-er’s from the centre of Victoria, Australia. My name is Annette and  I blog at Jindi's Cottage. Excited to be joining in again in 2015, thanks Chooky for organising again, along with your whip cracking side-kick Susan.

I played along in 2010 A Gardeners Journal (quilt top), 2011 ‘Tis the Season (actual whole finished quilt!) and  2012 Some Kind of Wonderful (still in progress - but getting closer every day to being a top).   I opted out in 2013.  I’ve been partial to Anni’s designs since Angel Story so the temptation of her new quilt was a little too much to resist.

I can’t guarantee life won’t get in the way, as it has a habit of doing, but let’s jump in anyway.  I’m looking forward to seeing everyone’s interpretation of the new quilt as we cheer each other on during the year.

Happy Stitching

Annette, Jindi’s Cottage

SKOW...Believe It Or Not - Progress!

I have been quietly working away on Some Kind of Wonderful over the last few months finalising the applique/stitchery blocks in small increments as time permitted without bothering to blog as I went...I had even put one strip together - but it was a whoops so let's not go there - anyway, yesterday afternoon, to celebrate the 1st day of the New Year, I wrapped my head around two little inescapable facts - 1. I had to wield the rotary cutter and cut 2 1/2" squares I had somehow missed preparing at the outset, and 2. I had to employ the quick unpick *sigh*...

By the end of the day...

2 full and 9/10ths of the 3rd, strips pieced...it would have been three if I wasn't one 2 1/2" square short and it was too late to be wielding sharp objects of the rotary cutter variety and I did have to get up for work this morning, so I went to bed.

Still a bit to go, including finishing off the applique on one block, but you never know, it could happen...

Happy Stitching...
Annette - Jindi's Cottage

As Midnight Creeps Closer...

And as the last hours of 2012 wind down…there is absolutely no doubt about it… even if I cheated and used extra Northern Hemisphere hours…I’m not going to have my SKoW top anywhere near finished…so where am I up to?...

I don’t think I’ve posted the suitcase and bird blocks even though they were finished a while back…I changed the locations on the suitcase to places I've actually been to...that makes all the blocks for rows 1, 2 and 5…The house would be finished if I hadn’t gone and done renovations...just like the real thing they are taking way longer than anticipated!...the shutters are still being installed...

The rest of the blocks for rows 4 and 5 are in various states of appliqué/stitchery almost done to oh drat I forgot to back baste yet, so my SAL journey is going to pull off the road into the layby just before the border to keep working on SKoW and I’ll wave to everyone going on over the border to the next project...

So Chookyblue please keep me on the sidebar as I keep going on SKoW and I’ll be watching the next SAL from the sidelines and cheering everyone else on…thanks for all your efforts with the SAL, even if I couldn’t keep up my end of the bargain this year I have enjoyed journeying along with the other stitchers for the first three SAL projects…

Happy Stitching and a Happy and Prosperously Stitchy 2013 to everyone…

Annette

Jindi’s Cottage

Still Plodding On...

Well done to all those who have met the deadline or are ever so close to the finish line...I still can't see the finish line although I know it is there somewhere and I am still plodding along working my way towards it...I have no intention of abandoning this quilt I've just not been able to dedicate as much time to it as I would have liked...

Status at the deadline (yes I'm working on Canada deadline time!)...

These blocks are appliqued and the stitchery is done - doesn't look like it in the photo but with one strand of floss the embroidery doesn't photograph well...

These blocks need the stitchery parts - the suitcase stitchery has been started it just doesn't show up in the pic (one strand + close colour = not good photography subject)

Applique to be finished...or even started...the designs are all traced on the back but the faeries haven't been doing a very good job of getting the back basting done...Chooky the answer is this many!...

The strips and squares for the top construction... prepped at the start ...

I'm hoping to get some more of the applique and stitchery done over the next two weeks - I'll be taking the project box on the road with me as I travel up to a friend's in northern New South Wales...of course I can't stitch and drive but as I'm taking two days to drive up and 2-3 days to drive home I'll need some hand stitching to while away the overnight stay hours...let's see if I manage to get any more done...

Happy Stitching...

A Few More Stitched...

Hi...a few more with the stitchery done...not easy to see the stitching in the photos I know as I use one strand and the floss matches a little too well for photo taking in some but it is there...

A bit of a party going on with a present, cake and chocolates!...
The chocolates are "Roses" they are wrapped in pretty papers...

It's finally Spring here today so maybe the butterflies will start to flutter...

Cracking on...

Happy Stitching...

Annette

Jindi's Cottage

 

Some Progress...

There has been some progress...the stitchery on four blocks yesterday afternoon/evening...and two more today at craft group...

If I could draw then the umbrella block would be Gene Kelly swinging around a lamp post in the rain but as I can't I had to stick with Anni's version of Singing in the Rain...the daisy is appropriate being Spring, well in theory, seriously it's 1 October why is it cold enough to need the heater on!...the choice of hot cuppas doesn't go astray in this crazy weather...I've now done the stitchery on about half of the blocks I've finished the applique on...which one to choose next?...

Happy Stitching...

Annette

Jindi's Cottage

A Little Progress...

Breaking blog silence to report that there has been some progress...not a lot but I seem to have managed to get SKoW restarted...working out just what colours I wanted to use for the stitchery portions and ordering skeins of the colours I was missing was a good start...
 
At retreat on the weekend stitchery bits were stitched on...

 The book...having received Marian's latest book during the week I chose this block first... yes I know the book is backwards, not all languages write/read left to right and the fact that English does I'm ignoring!

The yellow of the floss really doesn't photograph but it is there!

And yesterday at sewing group...

 

Chosen for the fact it has one word and therefore was quick to get done!...

 Hippy Dippy Jeans...Peace Man!...

The stitchery on another one is underway...what can it be???...you'll have to wait and see...

Happy Stitching...

Annette

Jindi's Cottage

There Has Been Progress...

I participated in this month's Friday Night Sew-In using it as an opportunity to get some more work in on SKoW...I had actually done a heap of the applique work over the last week or so having granted the project box resident status on the kitchen table (aka next to the heater!) and while I still have some applique blocks to finish preparing and stitch down Friday night's focus was to press, iron stabiliser to the back of and draw stitchery portions of the designs for the blocks I have already appliqued...

So now of out the 23 applique blocks 16 are residing in the block keeper, ironed and marked ready for embroidery...I'm happy with that effort...and the remaining 7 are all in various stages of the applique portion being prepared and/or started...

I'm not even attempting a photo shoot as there is way too much mess all over the table and if I clean the mess up it means packing up the SKOW project box so I'm not going to bother...

Happy Stitching...

Annette, Jindi's Cottage

The Story So Far...Not a Lot of Chapters!...

My story so far...

The chapters are incomplete...there is still a fair bit of story to be written for each block...it seems my modus operandi for this quilt is one technique at a time, who knows why it is just how it is speaking to me, so applique is happening first, stitchery will be next once all the appliques are ticked off so it will be a little while before I have actual blocks to go on the sidebar. But as I'm now up to the applique for the March blocks while March has some weeks left in it so I'm counting that as on track(ish)...it's my version of the track, I have so much trouble travelling in a straight line *LOL*...

Oh and I know the appliques are backwards and yes that is the back cover of the book..but when you don't realise you've done that until way after it is too late, it is time to move on and just live with it...so I am...

Happy Stitching

Annette

Jindi's Cottage